The Moldovan Customs Service will launch the digital system of programmed border crossing – BQS – in pilot mode for the first time on January 30
As noted in its message, BQS (Border Queuing System) will be initially implemented at the border customs post in Costesti, and road carriers leaving our country through the Costesti customs post must reserve the day and time of border crossing through BQS. As noted by the Director of the Customs Service, Alexandru Iacub, BQS is an innovative IT system that turns the crossing of customs border posts for trucks into a digital, fast and convenient process. According to him, this service represents an important step in solving the problem of congestion at the border, facilitating the activities of carriers and promoting the modernization of customs services. The development of this innovative solution was initiated in response to the disruption of traditional logistics and freight transport links caused by the war in Ukraine. The diversion of goods from Ukraine to the EU via Moldova has, at certain times, resulted in queues of trucks, mainly from Moldova and Ukraine, at the border with Romania. The customs posts located on the Moldovan-Romanian border handle an average of 30,000 trucks per month heading to the EU. Historically, carriers spend a significant part (40-90%) of their transit time at the border, especially at the Moldovan-Romanian border crossing points. The conflict in Ukraine has led to a sharp increase in waiting times and, in addition to long waits, truck drivers face difficulties in complying with national and international legislation on working and rest hours, poor sanitary and environmental conditions, road safety, and personal and property security. The BQS system addresses some of these issues by providing an easily accessible platform where carriers can pre-define their preferred time to cross the customs post. With this service, the Customs Service aims to transform the passage of trucks through border customs posts into a digital, fast and convenient process. The BQS online platform is managed by the Customs Service and is connected to the physical infrastructure of border customs posts, which allows for the automation of traffic management. The platform was developed with the support of USAID Moldova under the Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Program (MISRA). BQS will be available online on a desktop computer and as a mobile application in the App Store and Play Store. The physical infrastructure of the IT system will include electronic equipment at border customs posts (information monitors, automatic barriers, license plate reading equipment, etc.). It will be synchronized with the online platform and will allow for the automation of truck flow management. BQS will help reduce congestion at border customs posts and allow carriers to efficiently allocate their resources by planning deliveries in coordination with border authorities. // 21.01.2025 — InfoMarket.
